- 2 years ago
Do we really know who shot Mr.Burns, though? Welcome to WatchMojo and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 20 most mind-blowing “Simpsons” fan theories.
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00:00 "Well, I make some prank phone calls."
00:02 "Ah, ha ha, that's great."
00:05 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 20 most mind-blowing Simpsons fan theories.
00:12 "Would anyone care if we predicted that?"
00:14 "I don't know, but they will."
00:16 Number 20. Barney and Moe are the same person.
00:20 This is definitely one of the more out there ideas that some fans have for the show.
00:24 Of course, we all know Moe the bartender and Barney Gumbel,
00:27 two prominent figures at Moe's Tavern and a part of Homer's life.
00:30 "You'll be back, and so will you, and you, and you."
00:37 "Of course I'll be back. If you didn't close, I'd never leave."
00:40 However, some have proposed the idea that both Moe and Barney are the same person.
00:45 How can that be?
00:46 Well, apparently, Moe pressured Professor Frank into using his time machine to alter his childhood to improve his life.
00:52 "Don't worry, Barney. Time heals all wounds."
00:56 "Well, what do you know? You're right."
00:59 He took on the name Barney Gumbel, but then walked into Moe's and forgot everything.
01:03 "Mamma mia!"
01:05 Number 19. The show is told from Ned Flanders' perspective.
01:09 The Simpsons can be rather crass in their behavior,
01:12 especially compared to their next-door neighbor Ned Flanders and his family.
01:15 "Why aren't we ascending into heaven?"
01:22 "Oh, right. The sins."
01:25 Perhaps we've been looking at things all wrong, as this theory suggests.
01:29 The reason Homer is boorish and inconsiderate is because that's how Ned views him.
01:34 "What's the matter, Ned?"
01:35 "I... I think I hate Homer Simpson."
01:38 The same can be said for Bart, whose bratty behavior would look worse compared to the respectable Rod and Todd.
01:44 In fact, you can argue that the reason the Flanders flock looks so idyllic compared to the Simpsons
01:49 is because of Ned's bias towards his family, while having contempt for Homer and his family.
01:54 "Homer, you are the worst human being I have ever met."
02:00 "Hey, I got off pretty easy."
02:02 Number 18. Bart was a stonecutter before Homer.
02:06 Before Homer ever joined the Stonecutters,
02:08 Reddit user TyPiper93 posits that Bart was already a member.
02:12 "Lenny and Carl are never around on Wednesdays, and they don't tell me where they go. It's like a conspiracy."
02:17 "A conspiracy, eh? You think they might be involved in the Kennedy assassination in some way?"
02:21 "I do... know."
02:23 There are only two ways to join the secret society,
02:26 one being saving the life of a member or being the son of one.
02:30 Back in season two, Bart saved Mr. Burns' life, which would grant him membership.
02:35 "By the way, what was the lad's name?"
02:37 "Uh, Bart Simpson, sir."
02:38 "Who?"
02:39 "He's the son of Homer Simpson, one of your stepsons, Hector 7G."
02:42 "Well, the Simpsons will be getting a very nice surprise in the mail. Very nice indeed."
02:49 He's also Abe's grandson, but we don't know how strict they are with family ties.
02:53 Later, when Homer is revealed to be the Chosen One,
02:56 he commands Lisa to be removed from the room, and Bart happily follows the order.
03:00 "Don't you see? Getting what you want all the time will ultimately leave you unfulfilled and joyless."
03:05 "Remove the girl."
03:06 "Dad, you're not with the Stonecutters now. There are no lackeys around to carry out your every..."
03:10 There's also the fact Bart frequently evades trouble at school because Principal Skinner is also a member of the order.
03:18 #17. Every episode is a new universe.
03:21 Being on the air for more than 30 years certainly messes with the show's continuity.
03:26 Not only does the layout of the town change, but so does that of the Simpson house depending on the episode.
03:31 "Homer, it's really coming down. Could you check on the boys?"
03:35 "They're fine."
03:39 In earlier seasons of the show, Marge and Homer meet in the 70s,
03:43 but in more recent seasons, they're both Gen Xers.
03:46 "The middle of a wild decade known as the 1990s."
03:49 "The 90s? Never heard of it."
03:51 "Oh, it was a wonderful time. The Iraq War was over once and for all,
03:55 a struggling Matt Groening created Futurama, and young people believed in their dreams."
04:01 Both Grandpa and Mr. Burns are shown as having fought in World War II, but they'd be close to 100 years old.
04:07 One way to explain the shifting physical and temporal properties of the show
04:11 is that each episode is its own universe, meaning there's no overarching continuity.
04:16 "It seems like every week something odd happens to the Simpsons."
04:19 "My advice is to ride it out, make an occasional smart-aleck quip,
04:22 and by next week we'll be back to where we started from, ready for another wacky adventure."
04:26 "Ay carumba!"
04:27 "That's the spirit."
04:28 There's nothing more classic than watching one of Bart's prank phone calls to Moe.
04:36 "You see Moe there? Last name, Butts."
04:38 "Just a sec."
04:40 "Hey, is there a Butts here? See more Butts? Hey everybody, I wanna see more Butts!"
04:48 [Laughter]
04:50 "Oh, wait a minute."
04:51 After being pranked for so many years, you'd think that Moe would eventually figure out who's behind it all.
04:56 Redditor Señor Schnarf proposes that he does in fact know it's Bart,
05:00 but he admires the boy and wants to keep him happy.
05:02 "Is Mike there? Last name, Roch."
05:04 "Hold on, I'll check. Mike Roch! Mike Roch!
05:08 Hey, has anybody seen Mike Roch lately?"
05:11 [Laughter]
05:13 "Listen to me, you little puke. One of these days I'm gonna catch you."
05:16 There is some evidence to back this up.
05:18 After Homer is fired from the power plant, he's out drinking at Moe's.
05:22 Marge sends Bart to bring Homer home right after a prank call.
05:25 "It's you, isn't it? Listen you, when I get a hold of you,
05:29 I'm gonna use your head for a bucket and paint my house with your brains."
05:32 [Laughter]
05:34 "Bart, I want you to go down to Moe's tavern. I need you to bring your father home."
05:39 When Bart enters the bar and starts speaking,
05:42 Moe immediately recognizes his voice and is thrilled to see the younger Simpson.
05:47 "Excuse me, I'm looking for-"
05:48 "Wait a minute, I know that voice.
05:52 If it isn't little Bart Simpson, I haven't seen you in years!"
05:56 "That's right, that's my pup!"
05:59 #15. Maude never loved Ned
06:02 The Flanders seem to have the perfect life,
06:04 especially compared to their neighbors the Simpsons.
06:07 However, fans have noted several instances that would indicate
06:10 that maybe Maude isn't the loving, devoted wife we all assume she is.
06:14 "I told you to unplug the phone."
06:16 "But it could be my mother. How do you-"
06:18 "Friends?"
06:19 "Shoot!"
06:20 "That is it, Ned. If you don't unplug that phone right now,
06:22 you're sleeping on the lawn."
06:24 "Will you two shut up? People are trying to sleep!"
06:28 When Ned snaps and is sent to a mental health hospital
06:30 after his home is destroyed by a hurricane,
06:32 Maude is nowhere to be found.
06:34 When a comet is about to hit Springfield,
06:36 Ned is forced out of his bomb shelter,
06:39 and she doesn't raise much opposition.
06:41 "Sounds fair.
06:42 Toodaloo, everybody, I'll scream when the comet gets here."
06:46 "Oh, I'm coming with you, Neddy."
06:47 "No, sweetheart. You stay here because-"
06:51 "Okay."
06:52 Later, after she's passed on,
06:54 Ned has preserved her indentation in their bed,
06:56 and she's positioned such that she slept facing away from her husband.
07:00 "Could you sleep on my side? I'm trying to preserve Maude's indentation."
07:04 "Sorry."
07:05 "Oh, no problem. A little starch will fix her right up."
07:08 Number 14. Chief Wiggum isn't Ralph's dad.
07:12 Ever notice how Milhouse and his parents have similar features
07:15 such as blue hair and big round noses?
07:17 "What is all this stuff?"
07:18 "We've heard you've become a star.
07:20 We decided we'd better start living in the fast lane."
07:23 "What if I'm not a success? How will you pay for all this?"
07:27 "I'm sorry, I can't hear you, son. I'm wearing a jacuzzi suit."
07:31 It's a good indication that they're related,
07:33 but some fans have noticed that the same cannot be said about Ralph Wiggum and his parents.
07:38 For one, they don't resemble each other all that much,
07:41 leading some to speculate that Chief Wiggum might not be Ralph's father.
07:45 "You poor little boy."
07:47 "Oh, no, he'll be fine.
07:49 He's always getting himself stuffed in this or that."
07:52 Who would be the boy's dad?
07:54 Look no further than the chief's underling, Eddie,
07:57 given that both he and Ralph have thin, stringy hair.
08:00 While we can't say for sure, the resemblance is oddly suspicious.
08:05 "I know Eddie is Ralph's father.
08:07 Look at the hair. Look at the hair!"
08:10 "No, Clancy, I swear to you, it's not true."
08:13 "My son's breath smells like cat food."
08:16 Number 13. Why Patty and Selma hate Homer.
08:19 It's no secret that Marge's sisters are not particularly fond of Homer.
08:23 "Patty and Selma just got promoted at the DMV."
08:26 "Yeah, Homer, let your wife have a glimpse of success for once."
08:30 "All right, that's the last straw.
08:34 Time to take out the trash."
08:36 Redditor BT_TestHighlander1 argues that the twin sisters' poor treatment of Marge
08:40 is what pushed her to marry Homer.
08:42 There are several instances where Patty and Selma are mean to a young Marge,
08:46 and this had a profound effect on her when she grew up.
08:48 "This thing called a fire drill, they use it to drill a flaming hole in your head.
08:55 And there's only one big toilet, and they make you all go at the same time."
09:02 Homer can be a handful at times, but he has a pretty strong devotion to his wife,
09:06 which is a stark contrast to Patty and Selma's behavior towards Marge.
09:10 Since they want to continue to dominate their younger sister's life,
09:13 they want Marge to be with a partner they approve of,
09:16 thus treating Homer poorly in an attempt to convince her to move on from him.
09:20 "Get out of here, you ghouls!"
09:23 #12. Mr. Burns is aware of Homer's incompetence
09:27 Way back in season 1, Homer becomes the safety inspector of the nuclear power plant.
09:31 "I want you to be in charge of safety here at the plant."
09:35 "Safety?"
09:36 At the time, it made sense since he had just been on a public safety crusade.
09:40 In the years following, he's been shown to be rather incompetent at his job,
09:44 as we've seen him responsible for several near-catastrophes.
09:47 Frank Grimes even points out that accidents have doubled every year since Homer's been safety inspector.
09:53 "Accidents have doubled every year since he became safety inspector,
09:56 and meltdowns have tripled. Has he been fired? No. Has he been disciplined? No, no."
10:01 Mr. Burns is aware of Homer's ineptitude,
10:03 since someone who did the job well would force the plant to fix the problems.
10:07 When German investors buy the plant, they immediately fire Homer
10:11 and find out how expensive it would be to bring the plant up to code.
10:14 When Burns buys it back, he rehires Homer.
10:17 "And rehire that chap who sassed me in the bar!"
10:20 "Homer Simpson? But why?"
10:22 "Smithers, I keep my friends close, and my enemies even closer."
10:26 "Number 11. Homer is a criminal mastermind."
10:29 Homer is frequently portrayed as oafish on the show,
10:32 but when there's a crime involved, he becomes suspiciously competent.
10:36 When Springfield instituted Prohibition,
10:39 he came up with a genius plan to supply the town with alcohol.
10:42 "How have you been getting away with this?"
10:44 "Well, and I can explain, remember?
10:46 I fill the balls with beer that I found at the dump,
10:49 and then I boil them in some underground pipes, take them into Moe's."
10:52 "Homer, that's very clever!"
10:54 Not only was Marge impressed with his scheme,
10:57 but no one was able to catch him until he came out and admitted it.
11:00 In another episode, when Bart shows him how to illegally download movies,
11:04 he starts his own backyard theater screening the ill-gotten films to the townsfolk.
11:08 "Welcome to Cinema Pirate Deeso.
11:11 Tonight's movie is Life is Funny, directed by Judd Apatow.
11:15 It's based on his life, starring his family, and ad-libbed by his friends.
11:19 So for the next three and a half hours, enjoy."
11:23 He even breaks into the Springsonian Museum with Lisa to view the Orb of Isis,
11:27 commenting how his fingerprints are on file with the Springfield police.
11:31 "Run!"
11:35 #10. Bart created The Simpsons
11:38 "Oh, this is perfect."
11:40 Conjured up by Reddit user JustEmbarrassing,
11:43 this theory prophesies that Bart will grow up to be Matt Groening.
11:47 Considering the show's creator based The Simpsons on his own family,
11:50 going as far as to use their names,
11:52 it makes sense that Bart would be partially based on himself.
11:55 "And the globe goes to...
11:57 Angry Dad!"
12:02 The Redditor points out that the prankster has already proven to be a capable writer and comedian,
12:07 ghost-winning an award for an Itchy & Scratchy episode,
12:10 and crafting an Academy Award-winning Angry Dad short.
12:13 Like Groening, Bart's family tends to serve as inspiration for his creative work.
12:18 "And the winner is...
12:21 Itchy & Scratchy, Abraham Simpson Rice."
12:28 #9. Homer is still collecting royalties from the B-Sharps
12:32 "Each trip's a trip to paradise,
12:35 with my baby,
12:39 fun Bart!"
12:43 Maybe not the sexiest theory, but it still makes a whole lot of sense.
12:46 Redditor SomewhereCheap speculates that despite working as an underpaid nuclear safety inspector,
12:51 Homer still lives in relative luxury,
12:53 and can afford to travel the world with his family.
12:56 As part of the Grammy-winning Barbershop Quartet,
12:59 Homer's probably earned a decent chunk of change via royalties.
13:02 However, when it comes to the rest of the B-Sharps,
13:04 Barney would have drunk any money away,
13:06 Apu's eight children forced him into a life of modesty,
13:09 and Skinner seems to be better off than his school board income should allow.
13:13 "Is that reputation justified?"
13:15 "Yes. Yes it is."
13:17 #8. Marge shot Mr. Burns
13:22 "Where is everybody?"
13:25 "God!"
13:27 Season 6 ends with Mr. Burns getting shot by a mysterious attacker,
13:31 who in the Season 7 opener was revealed to be none other than Maggie Simpson.
13:36 "Get, get, get!"
13:38 Since then, many have speculated on whether the baby was the true culprit,
13:47 with one Reddit user pinning the crime on Marge.
13:50 As a devoted mother who loves Springfield,
13:53 Marge definitely had the motive to hate Mr. Burns.
13:56 During the episode "Marge gets a job",
13:58 the villainous Burns falls in love with Marge,
14:00 explaining why he would not single her out.
14:03 And yes, we know Homer unceremoniously claimed to have been the culprit in Season 18,
14:07 but Marge as the shooter is still an interesting theory to entertain.
14:11 "I'm gonna get my revenge,
14:13 and if I get caught, I'm pinning it on the baby like the time I shot Mr. Burns."
14:17 #7. Time-travelling Abe
14:20 "No!"
14:23 For this theory, drafted by Redditor DataForge,
14:26 we need to take the Treehouse of Horror episodes as canon,
14:29 but otherwise stuff checks out.
14:31 In the segment "Time and Punishment",
14:33 Homer creates a quick time machine and messes with the time continuum,
14:36 resulting in a few crazy alterations.
14:39 With things continuously getting worse,
14:41 Homer remembers some advice from his father
14:43 and settles for a timeline that's close enough to the original.
14:46 "If you ever travel back in time,
14:48 don't step on anything,
14:50 because even the tiniest change can alter the future in ways you can't imagine."
14:55 This might suggest that Abe is an experienced time traveler,
14:59 partially explaining why his recollection of history is all over the place.
15:03 Mind you, it is more plausible that Abe is actually just senile.
15:07 "And one day, I seen J.D. Rockefeller flying by,
15:12 so I run out of the house with a big washtub and...
15:16 "Where you going?"
15:18 Number 6. Homer knows he's a cartoon.
15:21 "Hey, stop that!"
15:22 "You'll never silence me! I'm the last angry man, Patterson!"
15:26 A handful of theorists focus their energy
15:28 on justifying the later seasons of The Simpsons,
15:31 especially when it comes to Homer's increasingly destructive personality.
15:35 Rays of Davies theory harkens back to the classic season 4 episode "Homer the Heretic",
15:40 which concludes with Homer dreaming of God and learning the meaning of life.
15:43 The Redditor believes that God told Homer he's a cartoon,
15:46 explaining why the once lovable doofus turned into a mean-spirited jackass
15:50 who acts only in his best interest.
15:53 If nothing is real, then consequences are a thing of the past.
15:57 "They're both losers! Losers!"
16:00 Number 5. Nelson Muntz's biological father.
16:04 "Bart, you are a bad friend!"
16:08 There is more than one horse in this race.
16:11 The identity of Nelson's biological father has always inspired many a discussion,
16:15 with some speculating that Barney's his real daddy.
16:18 Putting aside that Bart once found Mr. Muntz at a circus,
16:21 a theory by Brownie James suggests that Nelson's real father is Snake Jailbird,
16:26 pointing towards their similar physical appearance.
16:29 "Oh, goodbye student loan payments, ha ha!"
16:33 Focusing on their personalities,
16:35 Snake and Nelson are both sensitive with a complete disregard for authorities.
16:39 For those who prefer their theories with a dose of sci-fi,
16:42 FireRobin88 suggests that Nelson and Barney are actually the same person,
16:46 due to his forcing Professor Frank to interfere with the past with a time machine.
16:51 "Great game, son. Come on, I'm taking you to Hooters."
16:55 "I don't want to bother Mom at work!"
16:57 Number 4. The Simpsons are actually geniuses.
17:00 "I just underwent a procedure to increase my IQ 50 points!"
17:04 "Really?"
17:05 After decades on the air, nobody involved with the Simpsons can be called stupid.
17:10 Lisa is the only member of the family praised for her intelligence,
17:13 a distinction that might not be accurate.
17:15 With regards to the dumbest of the bunch,
17:17 KirbyClock's theory points towards season 12's revelation
17:20 that Homer is only stupid due to a crayon lodged in his head.
17:23 Meanwhile, Marge has excelled in nearly every profession she's tried,
17:27 while Bart is creative and capable of picking up a foreign language at the drop of a hat.
17:31 "Hey, ma je suis pas français, mon tout-nom. Incroyable!"
17:36 With the exception of Lisa, the rest of the family seems to have chosen ignorance over brains.
17:41 "I am too smart! I am too smart! S-M-R-T! I mean S-M-A-R-T!"
17:47 Number 3. There are multiple Mole Men.
17:50 "Not again!"
17:52 Springfield is generally not the safest place, but that goes double for Hans Mole Man.
17:57 Whenever the unlucky Ralph Mellis shows up,
17:59 fans know that Homer is about to unintentionally deliver a world of hurt.
18:03 Most of Homer's antics should be fatal, but the Mole Man always comes back for more.
18:08 Is this just Tom and Jerry logic, or is there something else going on?
18:12 Aaron 3 theorizes that there are multiple Mole Men running around,
18:16 and Homer is constantly killing a different one.
18:18 This is borderline confirmed in the season 11 episode, "Hello Gutter, Hello Fodder."
18:24 "There is no escape from the fortress of the moles. No, except that."
18:30 Number 2. Springfield exists out of time and space.
18:34 "Springfield! The Simpsons! Gah!"
18:38 The Springfield effect is among the more popular and detailed Reddit theories out there.
18:42 Springfield seems to be stuck in a time loop since none of the residents have aged,
18:46 despite the years clearly passing by in the rest of the world.
18:49 The size of the town fluctuates depending on the situation,
18:52 with buildings moving around to better fit the narrative.
18:55 The theory suggests that Springfield exists outside of time and space,
18:59 with the characters being unable to notice any anomalies in their lives.
19:03 Well, it makes sense as any other explanation.
19:05 "I can't fit in the boot!"
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19:23 Number 1. Homer is in a coma.
19:27 "This world was never meant for one as beautiful as you."
19:31 "Grrrrr!"
19:32 This one almost makes too much sense.
19:35 The Redditor called "Hard to Pick a Name"
19:37 believes that Homer never woke up from his coma during season 4's clip show.
19:41 Six months earlier, God revealed to Homer that his time was nearly up,
19:45 coinciding neatly with the later coma.
19:47 "I feel bad, Homer. Nine out of ten religions fail in their first year."
19:51 To be fair, the episode does end with Homer suddenly snapping back to reality,
19:55 but this could be waved away as a dream.
19:58 The theory explains why nobody ever ages
20:00 and why subsequent episodes can be rather insane.
20:03 Really? Any theory that discredits the principal and the pauper
20:06 deserves the benefit of the doubt.
20:09 "I'm an imposter."
20:14 "That man is the real Seymour Skinner."
20:18 What's your favorite Simpsons fan theory?
20:20 Let us know in the comments.
20:22 "No, it can't be true!"
20:24 "It is true, Carl."
20:25 Did you enjoy this video?
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20:34 [outro music]
20:44 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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